Double-Pulse Laser Micro Sintering Process May Enhance Part Densification

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2018-WU-68308
Laser micro sintering (LMS) can flexibly produce micro parts with complicated geometries and made of a variety of important materials. This process faces the challenge of the balling effect, which happens when laser-induced powder melt contracts into discrete liquid droplets before they re-solidify. The short melt lifetime in existing LMS processes can lead to insufficient melt flow, large porosities, and hence poor densification of the sintered part. There is a need for an LMS process that can overcome these limits.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a novel double-pulse laser micro sintering process (DP-LMS). The DP-LMS process has a great potential to overcome the critical technical barrier of low densification in LMS, and enable or assist its production of densified micro metal parts with better mechanical properties. This may promote many applications of laser micro sintering, and broadly impact medical, aerospace, electronics, optics, and other fields that could benefit from the rapid and flexible production of complicated micro metal parts.

Advantages:
-Enhance part densification
-Enhance mechanical properties

Potential Applications:
-Laser micro sintering
-Rapid & flexible production of micro metal parts
-Medical, aerospace, electronics, optics, and other fields
May 31, 2019
Utility Patent
United States
11,440,099
Sep 13, 2022

Jul 3, 2018
Provisional-Patent
United States
(None)
(None)
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